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Viking Idun

The Idun, along with its identical twin, the Odin, are the first of the company’s dozen new “longships” (all named after Norse gods), which are a full 80 feet longer and a smidge wider than the rest of the fleet, carry 40 to 70 more passengers, and have swanker staterooms, including 48 with balconies. The riverboat sails to Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Hungary, and Slovakia.

How the Ships Shape Up

6. Viking Idun

Number of passengers:

190.

Where it sails:

Austria, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Hungary, and Slovakia.

What sets it apart:

Viking is the largest river cruise line plying the European waterways and the fastest-growing—it will have 31 ships by the end of next year. The Idun, along with its identical twin, the Odin, are the first of the company’s dozen new “longships” (all named after Norse gods), which are a full 80 feet longer and a smidge wider than the rest of the fleet, carry 40 to 70 more passengers, and have swanker staterooms, including 48 with balconies.

Who’s on board:

Mostly Americans representing a lively mix of ages (40 and up) and backgrounds, from worldly software engineers to well-heeled grandmothers.

The look:

Scandinavian, in keeping with its Nordic roots, but more feminine than the usual variety—blond woods are dressed up with silver and pale-gold accents and vases of gerbera daisies. Full-length windows and sliding doors wrap around the top two decks, flooding public areas and most private spaces with light.

Rather than insisting that all passengers eat at the same time, in the same space, the Idun offers two choices for lunch and dinner: the main dining room, which can be excessively noisy, or the indoor-outdoor—and blissfully quiet—Aquavit Terrace. Food is elegantly presented (a salmon appetizer arrived with a purple pansy), modestly portioned, and lightly seasoned. In other words, it’s healthy, although some lamented that it was on a par with “spa food.”

The staterooms:

Extremely comfortable though snug, cabins with balconies are 205 square feet, including the outdoor space, while cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows are a mere 135 square feet. Still, the heaps of storage and good-quality amenities (heated bathroom floor; soft linens; destination-specific movies on the TV) make for one cozy crib.

Crew/guides:

Though highly organized and gracious, they could have done more to orient passengers to the destinations. When strong winds forced the ship to overnight in the Dutch port of Dordrecht, a front-desk clerk said we were in Rotterdam. The quality of the local guides varied—some were a snooze.